Micro CoGen.

If there are any members on this board who have an idle Lister 6/1 or clone out there that I can press into service for a CHP system in Colorado, please drop me a line (PM) on this forum.

Thank you
Keith

I have been intending to buy some land in southern CO for some time.  Custer County, small community, 3500 people over summer, down to 1700 in the winter.  35 acre lots were in the $23k range for years and years.  Since the pandemic/lockdown enough people from California / NY state arrived that every available building lot was sold several times and prices eventually topped out well over $120k for the same lots.  For a while I gave up on the dream altogether and started looking at alternates.  Even rural TN has seen the number of lots listed drop month over month and prices that were in the $40k climb higher and higher to the $80-90k on average.

Just recently my wife found a lot for sale back in Custer county at a price that we could actually afford and had the money ready to go.  3 days before closing date, after our offer was accepted and earnest money paid we got a call that the seller had missed a mortgage payment and her mortgage company had shut down the sale...  Back to square one again...

Anyone else have any recent stories ?

I made the mistake of buying a house in Michigan in 2006 that has essentially trapped me in the state for about the following 14 years because I was upside down on the mortgage / home valuation from my second month of home ownership to more or less 2020...

Finally I am in a position where there is an actual housing shortage (after 14 years of no building) and where house prices have been appreciating.  Given the passage of time, I have been renovating the house because all the appliances, furnace, water heater etc needed to be replaced since they were all at end of life.  In addition I have done a strip to the studs of the master bath and rebuild since it was a case of using very expensive materials with extremely poor execution.   Now I'm into a total kitchen renovation which started with removing all the cabinets, chipping up the tile floor, pulling up the cement board and preparing for new wall to wall tile.   I also am laying new tile in a basement room that used to be carpeted.  And I resurfaced the deck and paid to get some large and dangerous trees removed after we had a tree fall on the roof last year and that forced the replacement of all the shingles and ice shield.   So the new owner should have few worries for a long time given all the work I have put into it and I have not used contractors.

Now I am looking to get out of our high property tax, most outrageous car insurance state that is MI.  I live in a rural community of Napoleon MI which has a median household income of about $46k and here I pay $4k property tax a year on my 1300 sq ft house sitting on 1/3 of an acre on a dirt road.  My homeowners insurance is $2400/yr.  Car insurance is $3600/yr for 3 cars that all have over 135k miles and the newest is a 2013.   Im looking to move to an unincorporated part of TN and buy as much land as I can afford in the woods.  My budget is between $40k-$90k at the top end.  I plan to build a 40'x64' shop with a small living space along one of the 40' end walls.  Buy a pole barn KIT from one of the big box stores and have a local contractor put up the shell.  Once it is dried in then I will get to work on the build out. 

It will have a heated slab and the living space will have its own loops so it can be regulated separate from the shop space.  The interior walls will be sheathed in plywood and steel liner panel then applied to that so that it is easy to hang anything off the walls without needing to find a stud or girt.  The sheathing should also improve the racking strength of the structure and go a long we to helping seal it up against bugs and other critters.  Of course it will add some cost.   So far I have not made a decision on the primary doors.  So far I have found the pannelised doors to leak too much air and move around in the wind so still considering my options.  I would ideally like a one piece door that can seal effectively when it is closed.   I need to give some thought as to letting light in.  The method that a lot of barns have used is to have clear panels at the upper end of the walls seems to be effective, its just a question of getting something that integrates well with the exterior metal.

So what do you guys think ?  Big shop, small living space.  Plenty of flat concrete to pre-fabricate parts of the main house which would be built later.  Keeping material out of the weather etc.  So far Menards has given a quote for a material kit for the shell at about $35k and it seems that hiring a crew to put it up would run another $15k.  Thoughts ?

Folks, some time ago I bought an ONAN DN2M that was sealed in a crate, preservative - no oil, apparently never run.  Ill attach some pictures.  The major issue I have is that in the generator application, the starter ring gear was attached to the rotor of the generator.  Getting a flywheel seems to be a major problem and if I could get one, it would likely cost more than what I paid for the engine itself.  If I could find a ring gear then I could probably have a flywheel made locally considering how much Lister Petter are asking for parts.

Anyone been in a similar position ?

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I have not viewed or posted in this forum for some time...  Life is full of twists and turns.

In late 2012, early 2013 my ex wife filed for divorce and got me evicted from my house.  The divorce proceedings got drug out over several years, eventually going to trial after it was clear the plaintiff was not going to agree to any settlement.  The ex wife made no mortgage payments while living in the house and basically squatted until a week before the foreclosure sale as due to occur.  Using the house like a credit card, effectively.  The house, and its associated new debt due to default, was awarded to me as part of the settlement. 

The judge stayed the foreclosure sale for a couple of weeks so that I could apply for a loan against my 401K account so that I could settle with the mortgage company.  I ended up having about 25% of my 401k balance seized by the court, since the ex had spent all the money in her own 401K after she got herself purposely fired from the very good job that she had at the local hospital.  She thought that being unemployed or under employed would help her get a better settlement from the court.  I ended up having to pay her spousal support for the next 2 years, in addition to paying what was essentially a double mortgage (regular mortgage payment + repayment of the 401K loan to settle the arrears balance.  This was despite the fact that I paid off about $90k of her pre-marital debt and I honestly forget how much it cost to pay for both her bachelors and masters degrees in nursing, in fact she graduated with her NP license mere weeks prior to the final judgement in the case.

Following this whole mess, I had to renovate my house because of the deliberate damage done to all the flooring and appliances.  I had to acquire new furniture because she seized all the furniture that was left when I was evicted. For 2 years my finances were dominated by the extra payments to the pay off the 401k loan and spousal support.  It took a 3rd year to pay off the last of the 401k loan after spousal support ended.  During much of this time I was assigned to a new factory in Dayton OH, and I commuted on a weekly basis from Michigan to Dayton, leaving on Monday morning at 6am and returning on Friday afternoon by 5-6pm.  So I was only home on weekends.   Finally in 2017 I more or less gave my manager an ultimatum saying that being assigned to a distant facility for 4 years was more than anyone could reasonably expect and that I needed to return to my local office or I would quit.    Fortunately for me, he agreed.

Since 2017 I have courted and married a considerably younger woman who is smart, thrifty and very pretty.  We came up with an economic recovery plan which involved downsizing.  We bought an abandoned home in town for $30k and have extensively renovated it, all on a cash basis.  This coincided with a very strong uptick in home prices in SE Michigan, which had been depressed for nearly 12 years.  Neighboring homes have since sold for up to $130k next to the home we bought for $30k.  So it is likely that we may be able to sell the fixer upper house for a price that would allow us to come close to paying off the mortgage on my original house.  Arriving at the same goal (debt free) just by a different path than what we had anticipated (we were going to sell my original house).   

I have at this stage given up on my plans to move to Colorado.  The state is now becoming a California 2 and is politically dominated by Denver/Boulder and the other front range cities which now have large Federal government worker populations given the EPA offices and data centers for the NSA.  All of the items I had gathered for a life in hay growing Custer County now needed to be disposed of.  I could no longer justify hoarding out my garage with shop tools for an unknown period while my cars stood outside in the snow and ice.  I still want to move out of the state due to the cost of property taxes, the price of car insurance and overall poor future prospects of work on the combustion engine side of the automotive supplier industry.  We have not yet decided on a new location, but considering Tennessee.  I liked Flagstaff AZ but it seems to be too close to California, thus property prices sky high unless you live in the desert with its associated problems.

I just recently bought a small 2 seat airplane and my wife is currently taking lessons.  Now having a hangar I have finally moved my diesel genset to the hangar while I get the garage cleared out... Other than running the generator during a few 1-2 week power outages following ice or wind storms, I have not even touched it...  So much for all those plans...  I do now own a nice multi process inverter welder and one of those fancy low speed cold saws for cutting steel, so with the garage cleared out I do look forward to some slick fabrication projects, including a tiny trailer with integral fuel tank for the Deutz generator.  I did find an open air storage lot that allows people to store vehicles, RV,s and shipping containers, charged by the foot on an annual basis, so I bought a 20 foot container and moved some equipment I really didnt want to sell over there (15" swing lathe, solar panels etc).  Also my 55hp Kubota utility tractor,  In the last year I have gone through somewhat of a vehicle apocalypse.  The clutch on my Subaru Forester went out, which was a pretty major repair job and not long after the engine in my 2008 Ford F250 crapped itself at 120k miles (a familiar story with the Navistar 6.4).   So I am in the process or rebuilding a 2001 Cummins 5.9 which I am fitting a VE injection pump to so that it will be a fully mechanical engine.  That is then going into the F250 together with a custom 1200rpm low stall torque converter.  I might then finally have a reliable truck....

I am looking into a side job of rebuilding VE injection pumps, I currently have a batch of 16 of them that I will be converting from Onan generator style pumps into the sort of pump used on pickup trucks.  I was able to obtain new old stock Onan generator injection pumps for the Cummins 6BT engine running at 1800 rpm.  Many of the internal parts need to be changed for the truck application including the rotary vane feed pump, the cam plate and the hydraulic unit itself and of course the operating levers and governor.  They can also be converted into 4 cylinder or 3 cylinder units by ordering the right parts.  If anyone needs a VE injection pump, let me know, especially if it is for a generator application....

Hope you all are doing well in these uncertain times.
Keith Olivier

Moderators, I hope this is the right place, else move it if needed..

I am looking at finally making my move out West a little over a year from now.  I was all set on Custer Co Colorado, but with recent political events, I may have to re-think my location.  Regardless, the goal is the same.  Find a county that does not enforce a building code or restrictive ordinances, lots of winter sunshine and wind.  Looking for elevation to be 5000ft or more for low humidity.  Trying to avoid the very arid (and hot) south west.  Until December last year, Custer County filled every requirement.

The land that I can afford has no utilities and private roads.  That translates to 2 tracks...  It is about a 20 min drive under ideal weather conditions to the nearest town which has an ACE hardware store and a supermarket.  To "serious" shopping it is a little over an hour and a half in summertime.   So to avoid a LOT of wasted effort and the resultant drastic shortening of the already 6-7 month building season, I intend to put together a 40 foot Hi Cube container that has all the basic amenities needed for survival in those sort of circumstances.   

The goal is to insulate the inside with 3-4" of spray foam onto purlins welded to the inside and then sheathed in plywood to make it easy to hang/attach things to the walls.  I was going to do a few partitions, one for a small living area with a bunk bed, kitchenette and shower, a second "utility" area to house the diesel genset, diesel fired hot water heater and a hot water storage tank that is tied into the genset and hot water heater.  Finally a shop area with my welder, bridgeport style mill, drill press, workbench and things arranged in such a manner to allow a vehicle to be parked inside when leaving the site to discourage theft.

I will have my F250, gooseneck flatbed trailer, loader backhoe and potentially a UTV all at the site.  I figure that for material shopping / pickup trips I would be using the F250 and trailer on a regular basis.  The loader backhoe will do most of the site prep/septic and for lifting and moving things.  The item most at risk for theft/joyriding would be the UTV and that is also the easiest to park.

I will probably be working off site during the winter to help fund the following construction season.  In the first season, I need to get the septic system in, then the barn foundation and slab and finally the barn itself.  I am looking at doing a steel barn of modest height, insulated with spray foam insulation.  The primary heating system in the barn will be radiant heat in the slab, provided by a diesel fired boiler augmented by a series of solar collectors.  I will probably put in a large size wood stove to take the chill off when working in the barn, but the idea is to keep all the equipment above freezing and out of the weather/sight.   I'm considering whether I should plan to move the container onto the slab  once it is done, then put up the barn structure.  The heating and power would come from the utility systems in the container until they finally get their own home.  It may not be a bad idea in the long term to keep the genset isolated to contain the noise and fuel to a specific area.

So here is my reasoning: I need to move most of the possessions to the site anyhow.  It seems that moving a container is one of the less expensive ways to get things from point A to point B.  The container itself is about $3800.  It looks like the surface to be insulated is about 1400 sq ft.  About 1040 sqft will need to be panelled with at least 1/2" plywood or OSB.   I can work out the cost for the paneling pretty quick, but I'm not sure how to determine the cost of the spray foam job.

Loading and unloading the container at each end could be problematic because from the high trucks a crane is usually needed since the large forklifts otherwise needed are not found near small towns.  Possibly one could find someone with a tilt trailer to do the job, but that may be harder to organize.

So what do you think ?  The alternative seems to be hiring a lot of work out, which can be pretty expensive in a relatively remote place.  Or leaving a lot of equipment and materials relatively unsecured every time you leave site ?   I could possibly get a second (unfinished) container closer to the destination purely for storage and possibly to use as a second structural member of the barn, basically roof over the pair of 40 foot containers, put the roll up door at one end and a wall at the other.  My thought was to let the containers carry only the roof loads and put perimeter walls around the outside of the containers so that there is no thermal break to the outside.

This weekend, (start of my vacation, Finally), I spotted a listing on Craigslist that I could hardly believe:

Generator Unit (Monroe, MI)
Date: 2010-08-28, 2:41PM EDT
Reply to:

This unit was a portable light tower. The light unit got damaged. Diesel motor runs good and generator works fine. Can be started and ran. Does not come with battery or fuel tank. $700.00/OBO

DEUTZ AG
Motor FM1008
2005 1028CC Displ 10,000 rated power
EPA Family ID 5DZXL01.4029
Fuel type – 2D diesel or equivalent
Liquid cooled

LeRoy Somer Partner Alternator
LSA 37M6 A ¼
No. 185794/142 60 hz
Min. RPM 1800 Protection IP23

Tension voltage 240 V
Phase 1
Conn. SE
Cont 6 kVa
Base 6.6 KW

Needless to say, I made haste and drove there this morning and confirmed that the price was indeed $700, it was started and ran and has only 1500 hours on the hobbs meter.  So I handed over the money and I can get started...

Plans are to fit an oxidation catalyst, wrap the exhaust manifold and catalyst in an insulation blanket and then fit an exhaust heat exchanger.  I think I will be purchasing an electric water heater, which I will plumb the coolant and exhaust heat exchangers into with 2 circulation pumps to keep the fluid flowing through the exhaust exchanger and through the hot water heater.   If there is no other load, the genset can power the electric heater element, which will drop out if a greater electric load is applied.

First order of business is to make a small cart to hold the engine and genset and get it off the pallet.  I will ultimately be relieving the engine of its radiator and fan, to cut parasitic losses and later perhaps the 12v alternator too.   One step at a time...

The attached pictures are from the craigslist listing and I will try to get better ones once I have it unloaded.

Keith

I do a "diesel engine" search every now and then and today there was just a ton of new engines for sale.  About 2 years ago was the time that there were thousands of the small 2 cylinder engines for sale cheap, as well the 3 cylinder kubotas that are now so expensive.

Georgia generator has what looks like a good deal on the Lister petter LPSW3 for $3500 http://cgi.ebay.com/Lister-Petter-LPSW3-New-Diesel-Engine-/160470642530?pt=BI_Generators&hash=item255ccbaf62

Then there is this one 48hp for $3k http://cgi.ebay.com/Kubota-Diesel-Engine-NEW-48hp-V2203-fits-Bobcat-753-/360293406430?pt=BI_Heavy_Equipment_Parts&hash=item53e32916de

And this one Cummins A 1700 for $3200 http://cgi.ebay.com/Cummins-Diesel-Engine-A1700-37BHP-82-Lb-Ft-Torque-/130424319215?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e5de52cef

There were lots more brand new engines with more HP than I need.

Fluke or another big "stock liquidation" ?

The following is a brief summary of the emission requirements for stationary engines as found at this link:
http://www.dieselnet.com/standards/us/stationary.php

As will be noted, depending on cylinder displacement, the primary requirement for small operators consists of purchasing certificated engines if prior to the 2007 model year (this covers the yanmar and kubota engines at Surplus Center)    Uncertificated engines prior to 2007 model year (imports) have to meet a "Not to exceed" requirement of 1.25x the permissible emissions in the referenced category (Tier 1).  Since Tier 1-3 requirements were intended to be met without the need for external emission control devices, meeting this requirement should be possible unless the engine has a crude fueling and governing system.  This can be an expensive process if carried out on a case by case basis, which money is probably better invested in a later model certificated engine (Tier 1-4 prior to 2007 model year).

Stationary Diesel Engines

    * Background
    * Applicability
    * Emission Standards
    * Economic Impact

Background

The US Clean Air Act requires that new source performance standards (NSPS) be established to control emissions from new stationary sources [CAA, Section 111(b)]. An NSPS requires these sources to control emissions to the level achievable by best demonstrated technology (BDT), considering costs and any non-air quality health and environmental impacts and energy requirements. New sources are defined as those whose construction, reconstruction, or modification begins after a standard for them is proposed.

In 1979, the EPA proposed NSPS standards for stationary diesel engines, but they were never finalized. In the absence of federal regulations, emissions from stationary engines gradually became subject to a complex system of state and/or local regulations and permit policies, such as those in California, Texas, or the NESCAUM states.

In 2003, a lawsuit was filed against the EPA by Environmental Defense, a New York-based nonprofit advocacy group, which called for establishing federal emission standards for stationary diesel engines. In 2004, the lawsuit was resolved by a consent decree, which required the EPA to develop such standards. On June 28, 2006, the EPA adopted emission regulations for stationary engines, which require that most new stationary diesel engines meet the Tier 1-4 emission standards for mobile nonroad engines.

Emission regulations for stationary diesel engines are published in Title 40 Chapter I, part 60 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
Applicability

The standards apply to stationary compression ignition internal combustion engines (CI ICE) as defined below:

    * A stationary internal combustion engine means any internal combustion engine, except combustion turbines, that converts heat energy into mechanical work and is not mobile. Stationary ICE differ from mobile ICE in that a stationary internal combustion engine is not a nonroad engine as defined at 40 CFR 1068.30, and is not used to propel a motor vehicle or a vehicle used solely for competition. Stationary ICE include reciprocating ICE, rotary ICE, and other ICE, except combustion turbines.
    * A compression ignition engine means a type of stationary internal combustion engine that is not a spark ignition (SI) engine. An SI engine means a gasoline, natural gas, or liquefied petroleum gas fueled engine or any other type of engine with a spark plug (or other sparking device) and with operating characteristics significantly similar to the theoretical Otto combustion cycle. Spark ignition engines usually use a throttle to regulate intake air flow to control power during normal operation. Dual fuel engines in which a liquid fuel (typically diesel fuel) is used for CI and gaseous fuel (typically natural gas) is used as the primary fuel at an annual average ratio of less than 2 parts diesel fuel to 100 parts total fuel on an energy equivalent basis are SI engines.

Typical examples are stationary diesel engines used to generate electricity and operate compressors and pumps at power and manufacturing plants. The rule also covers stationary engines that are used in emergencies, including emergency generators of electricity and water pumps for fire and flood control. The emission standards apply to new, modified, and reconstructed stationary diesel engines (i.e., existing in-use engines are not affected).

Timing. The emission standards apply to engines whose construction, modification or reconstruction commenced after July 11, 2005—the date the proposed rule was published in the Federal Register. Compliance with Tier 1 standards is delayed to April 1, 2006 for non-fire pump engines and to July 1, 2006 for fire pump engines.
Emission Standards

The standards apply to emissions of NOx, PM, CO, and NMHC. They are expressed in units of g/kWh and smoke standards as a percentage. No new emission limits were developed for stationary engines. Rather, the engines are required to meet emission standards for various types of mobile engines, depending on the engine size and application:

   1. Engines of displacement below 10 liters per cylinder must meet Tier 1 through Tier 4 emission standards for mobile nonroad diesel engines (almost all stationary engines in the USA belong to this size category). Engines used only for emergencies, for example stand-by generator sets, are exempted from the most stringent Tier 4 emission requirements.
   2. Engines of displacement above 10 liters per cylinder must meet emission standards for marine engines.

Two groups of standards have been adopted: (1) for engine manufacturers, and (2) for engine owners/operators. Beginning with model year (MY) 2007, engine manufactures are required to emission certify stationary engines, and so they are responsible for compliance. During the transitional period before the MY 2007, engines can be sold that are not emission certified. In that case, the engine owner/operator is responsible for emission compliance.

Standards for Engine Manufacturers. Emission certification requirements for stationary non-emergency diesel engines are summarized in Table 1. From 2007, all stationary engines below 30 liters per cylinder must be certified to the respective standards, as applicable for the model year and maximum engine power (and displacement per cylinder in marine standards).
Table 1
Emission Requirements for Non-Emergency Stationary Engines Displacement (D)   Power   Model Year   Emission Certification
D < 10 liter per cylinder   ≤ 3000 hp   2007+   Nonroad Tier 2/3 - Tier 4
> 3000 hp   2007-2010   Nonroad Tier 1
2011+   Nonroad Tier 2 - Tier 4
10 ≤ D < 30 liter per cylinder   All   2007+   Marine Tier 2 (Cat. 2)

Emission certification requirements also apply to emergency engines from 2007, but the certification levels are less stringent:

    * Emergency engines that are not fire pump engines must be certified to the standards shown in Table 1, with the exception of Tier 4 standards that require "add-on" control (such as diesel particulate filters or NOx reduction catalysts).
    * Emergency fire pump engines must be certified to standards that are generally based on nonroad Tier 1 and Tier 2, with Tier 2 becoming effective around 2008-2011, depending on the engine power category.

The time allowed for maintenance and testing of emergency engines is 100 hours per year.

Standards for Engine Owners/Operators. Depending on the engine category, owners and operators are responsible for emission compliance as follows:

    * Engines < 30 liters per cylinder
          o Pre-2007:
                + Engines < 10 liters per cylinder must meet nonroad Tier 1 emission standards.
                + Engines ≥ 10 liters per cylinder must meet MARPOL Annex VI NOx limits (Tier 1 marine standards)
          o 2007 and later: owners/operators must buy emission certified engines
    * Engines ≥ 30 liters per cylinder: owners/operators are required to reduce NOx emissions by 90%, or alternatively they must limit NOx to 1.6 g/kWh (1.2 g/hp-hr). Owners/operators are also required to reduce PM emissions by 60%, or alternatively they must limit PM to 0.15 g/kWh (0.11 g/hp-hr).

Owners/operators of pre-2007 engines < 30 liters per cylinder can demonstrate compliance by purchasing a certified engine. If a non-certified engine is purchased, compliance may be demonstrated using emission test results from a test conducted on a similar engine; data from the engine manufacturer; data from the control device vendor; or conducting a performance test. If in-use performance test is conducted, the owner would be required to meet not-to-exceed (NTE) emission standards instead of the respective certification emission standards. Pre-2007 engines must meet NTE standards of 1.25 × the applicable certification emission standard. The information which demonstrates engine compliance and the appropriate maintenance records must be kept on site.

Owners/operators of engines ≥ 30 liters per cylinder must conduct an initial performance test to demonstrate emissions compliance (NOx is measured using EPA Method 7E, PM using EPA Method 5 [40 CFR part 60 appendix A]). The NTE standards do not apply to engines ≥ 30 liters per cylinder.

Fuel Program. The affected engines would also have to switch to low sulfur fuels: no more than 500 ppm sulfur by October 2007 for all engines, followed by ultra-low sulfur diesel (15 ppm sulfur) by October 2010 for engines < 30 liters per cylinder. These fuel requirements are consistent with those for mobile nonroad engines.
Economic Impact

The EPA estimated that the rule will affect 81,500 new stationary diesel engines. Emission reductions will occur gradually from 2005 to 2015, with the total nationwide annual costs for the rule to be $57 million in 2015.

The following are EPA estimates of the price increase for the compliant equipment due to the added cost of emission controls (year 2015):

    * Irrigation systems: 2.3%
    * Pumps and compressors: 4.3%
    * Generator sets and welding equipment: 10.0%

Was reading about the Puradyne bypass style multi stage filtration system http://www.puradyn.com/products/overview.html

It seems to be commonly used on a lot of commercial equipment.  What appears to be unique about this unit is that they claim that their filtration element releases additives into the oil to replace those depleted in service, besides filtering out particulates down to 1um as well as water and fuel condensates (which are evaporated after separation by a 150w heater).

The smallest unit is designed for 12 quart sumps and is less than $400.   Oil life can be extended 2-9x with the exact change interval being determined initially through oil analysis with periodic checking as the engine accumulates hours.

Here is a picture from the website:

Bob, I thought I sent you a PM on this topic, but for some reason it goes not show in my outbox, so I'm trying again in the general forum:

Could we please have a sticky with directions how to pay Somrad dues so that this does not need to be a 1:1 process for each of us.  Some sensitive information like email addresses could be protected by making reference to the info in our profiles, which is only accessible to members of SMF.

Best regards
Keith

Since I spent the past few days getting my laptop to dual boot with Windows XP and Ubuntu 9.10 Linux and then downloading a ton of scientific software for free for Linux, one of the items I was looking for was software for PCB design.

The ones I found for Linux were:
electric (schematic including house wiring)
gEDA (comprehensive schematic and PCB layout toolkit)
GerbV (viewer for Gerber files)
KiCad (comprehensive schematic and PCB layout toolkit)

For Windows, there were many limited capability tools (Lite editions of very expensive tools) but in addition I found DipTrace http://www.diptrace.com/
What is unique about DipTrace is that they are taking on the giants (Orcad etc) at a fraction of the price.  What may be specially interesting to people on this board are 2 products:
DipTrace Starter $75 (300 pins, 2 layers) and
DipTrace Non Profit $125 (1000 pins, 4 layers non profit use only)

In addition, if you read the testimonial section, there are very good reports on customer service.  http://www.diptrace.com/testimonials.php

So as most of you know, Surplus Center has a pretty good deal going on the small Yanmar 2 cylinder 2TNV70 engine, as well as the larger Kubota D903 and Perkins/CAT C1.1.

These engines range in power from:
4.5kW @1600rpm for the 2TNV70
7.0kW @ 2200rpm for the 2TNV70
9.5kW @ 3000rpm for the 2TNV70

8.0kW @1600rpm for the D902
12.5kW @ 2200rpm for the D902
17.0kW @ 3000rpm for the D902

11.0kW @1600rpm for the C1.1
16.0kW @ 2200rpm for the C1.1
20.0kW @ 3000rpm for the C1.1

My application with cabin + barn/workshop "addition" would not require a lot of power the majority of the time.  Anytime I am actively engaged in working in the barn, using my lathe, mill or welding equipment, I would have no problem running a second genset to provide the additional power needed.

To reduce engine wear, noise and try to operate the engine at a decent efficiency point, I am interested in converting the 3 phase generator output into rectified and smoothed DC (using a wide range AVR system) which is then supplied to a large inverter, from which I then draw power to the house and barn.  I could add a substantial amount of capacitor buffering on the high voltage DC bus to absorb transient loads and stretch the system time constant out long enough that the mechanical load regulation of the engine would be able to keep up with the demand.

So basically this would be the diesel equivalent of the Honda/Yamaha inverter generator, with the engine adjusting speed with load and the output being clean from the inverter.  Speaking of inverters, I was looking at the Sunny Boy SB 8000US inverter http://www.sma-america.com/en_US/products/grid-tied-inverters/sunny-boy/sunny-boy-5000us-6000us-7000us-8000us.html

Now if I take this system, and on the DC bus side I add a second generator, same as the first, as well as couple the second engine to the controller for load sharing, is there any reason this would not work ?  If the second generator is inactive, no current can backflow through the diode bridges to the windings of the alternator, right ?  On the outlet side of the inverter, one could isolate the circuits one considers "expendable" with a contactor / relay, which is active only when the load is below a specified threshold. This would have to be managed by the controller, to allow for proper delays after isolation to avoid damaging equipment through being repeatedly being turned on and off in quick succession.  This would be a primitive form of load shedding to avoid browning out the gensets.  Once one adds in a series connected battery bank on the HV DC side of the bus, the load shedding could be more sophisticated yet, based on battery state.

So, since this seems a little complicated compared to just getting a big ol genset, here are my thoughts:  This setup permits one to start simple.  To begin with, one can go with a single engine/generator, constant speed.   If I use the Yanmar engine, one is looking at $800 for the engine + $870 for the YHG-8.2KW 3 phase head from GA Generator.  The 4 pole head is made for 1800rpm, but one could probably crank it to 2200rpm and adjust the AVR to get a few more hp (from the engine) in the most basic configuration.

Then once the primary construction phase is over and cash flow improved somewhat (does that ever happen ?), one could go out and add the second genset, this time perhaps the D902 with the exact same YHG 8.2kW 3 phase generator.  At 1800rpm the engine and generator are a better match than the 2 cylinder Yanmar.  Then the inverter, control system etc.   I figure that when one lives in a location that is likely never to see utilities and has a relatively modest income, one needs to operate the systems that one has in the most efficient manner possible.   I would love to run a more modern diesel (PD or common rail) but one is looking at over $3k for the engine, they have more HP generally that what I would need from a utility point of view.   I do however plan to get one of those beats under the hood of my 93 Toyota Pickup.

Feedback desired.
Keith